Family stories
12 questions that invite your grandparents’ stories
Invite the stories behind familiar memories with twelve questions about everyday life, family, and growing up.
You know Grandpa worked at the same place for years. But who did he eat lunch with? How did he get there on his first day? The answers might take you into a part of his life you've never heard much about.
Start small. A question about an ordinary afternoon gives your grandparents something to picture, and you can follow the story wherever it goes instead of moving straight to the next question.
12 questions to try
- What did you usually do when you got home from school?
- Where did you and your friends go when you had a free afternoon?
- Which household job did you try to get out of?
- What meal could you recognize from the smell before you got to the kitchen?
- Who made you laugh when you were growing up?
- Who helped you on your first day at work?
- Is there something a relative used to say that you still catch yourself saying?
- Who taught you a skill you still use?
- What do you remember about the first home you made your own?
- What did you do when you visited your grandparents?
- Is there a family tradition you'd like us to try together?
- What was an ordinary weekend like when you were my age?
Pick one. If Grandma starts telling you about the neighbor who let everyone use her kitchen after school, ask about the neighbor. The rest can wait.
StoryCorps suggests asking open questions and following up on details that catch your interest. Its conversation tips are written for recorded interviews, but that approach also gives you room to listen during a family call.
Give them something of yours to answer
Writing about your apartment? Describe the secondhand table you squeezed into the kitchen, including how you got it up the stairs, then ask what they remember about furnishing their first place.
If you use MailedIt, include the question in the draft you review and approve for printing and mailing. They can tell you the answer when you next talk. Writing a reply can be their choice.
Some memories are painful. Let your grandparents skip a subject, and ask permission before recording a conversation or sharing their story with anyone else.
After your call, jot down the name or detail you want to remember. Next time you write, you could ask whether that neighbor ever taught Grandma how to make the biscuits she mentioned.
For other starting points, see StoryCorps' Great Questions.